Dodged A Bullet

[Londear1992]

Cancer is a diagnosis that comes with longterm consequences. It means always looking over your shoulder to see if is it creeping up on you again. But for now, Alan has truly dodged a bullet. After traveling all the way to Germany for a non-invasive treatment for prostate cancer, Alan's first three month test results are wonderful. Before treatment, his PSA had hit 12.07 Today we learned it had dropped to 0.19 three months after his cancer was zapped out with high intensity ultrasound. Since he still has half a prostate, a detectable PSA is to be expected. Thank God for this great news. Thank goodness for Dr Thüroff and thanks to everyone for all the good thoughts and prayers!!!

[Tall_Allen]

Be sure he has a biopsy after a year.

[Magnus1964]

Looking good!!!

[dadzone43]

Happy news for both of you. Stay vigilant.

[CalBear74]

Please provide additional detail on the specific German hospital chosen and the physicians names (beyond Thuroff if available). Evaluative comments are greatly appreciated and will help others make decisions. Phone numbers and contact procedures are also very important. Thank you!

[Londear1992 in reply to CalBear74]

Hi, Calbear74. I have made quite a few postings about this with lots of info. If anyone searches HIFU on the site they will see them under A Long Journey To This Place. But to add it here, my husband had Dr Stefan Thuroff at Harlaching Klinikum in Munich, Germany for a procedure on April 11th. 2019. Four doctors in the US told him not to have this procedure since it is still considered experimental in the USA where it was only approved less than five years ago - not so in Europe.

The doctor's email is: "Dr.med. Thüroff Stefan" <[e-mail]>

Alan was Gleason 8 - an aggressive cancer, but only a small amount and only in one lobe. After extensive research my husband chose High Intensity Focused Ultrasound since Dr Thuroff had been doing this procedure for more than 23 years successfully. The catheter came out less than 48 hours after the procedure, he had 0 incontinence and 0 ED afterwards. He did have some urgency for about week.

We met a former patient of Dr Thuroff who had a similar prognosis as Alan and his stats have been great for the past 12 years following HIFU, so we are hopeful, but with a realization that vigilance will be needed of course.

My husband had a TURP same day and same doctor as for the HIFU (TURP is needed where calcium deposits are present since they deflect the ultrasound waves.)

Total cost of both procedures together was just over $6,000. HIFU alone in the US is $25,000.

Anything under 1.0 is considered a good PSA after HIFU if part of the prostate is left. Alan's psa was 0.19 at the three month mark.

Our friend's psa post HIFU was .10 in 2007 and is .64 today. PSA does rise with age.

If anyone wishes to contact Dr Thuroff, I would recommend getting all your ducks in a row: PSA progression stats, 3TMRI scan, Prostate Biopsy Report, 4K test, Pelvic Abdominal Scan, Bone Scan and send all of them electronically in a folder requesting a review of your case to see if you are a candidate for HIFU. This will save him and you a great deal of time.

Hope this helps!

[j-o-h-n in reply to Londear1992]

Ask Alan one question from me. How was the jello?

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Monday 07/22/2019 4:55 PM DST

[Grumpyswife]

He looks great and thanks for the details. Seems the US is behind in prostate cancer treatments.

[Hidden in reply to Grumpyswife]

You can thank the FDA and the medical establishment's resistance to new methods like HIFU. I went out-of-pocket to get HIFU surgery in San Francisco in 2016. It wasn't cheap and no European vacation attached to it.